Six Republican senators decided against signing a stern letter that was sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, demanding an impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
House Republicans impeached Mayorkas on their second attempt in February, accusing the secretary of ignoring immigration laws and making "false statements" about the U.S.-Mexico border. The articles of impeachment are expected to be delivered to the Senate by House Speaker Mike Johnson next week.
The letter, signed by 43 of 49 GOP senators, comes after a number of Republicans expressed concerns that leadership in the Democrat-controlled chamber could kill off the impeachment trial before it begins, with a motion to table it, which would require only a simple majority vote to pass.
"We write to demand that the Senate uphold its constitutional responsibility to properly adjudicate the House of Representatives' impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas," the letter states.
"Absent Secretary Mayorkas' immediate resignation, this impeachment should remain faithful to Senatorial precedent," it continues. "The American people deserve to hear the evidence through a Senate trial in the Court of Impeachment."
The letter was not signed by the following six Republican senators:
- Mitt Romney of Utah
- Susan Collins of Maine
- Rand Paul of Kentucky
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
A spokesperson for Cassidy told Newsweek via email that "Senator Cassidy has been clear on the need to hold a trial," while citing several social media posts indicating that he was strongly in favor of an impeachment trial.
Tuberville's office had a similar response, with a spokesperson pointing out that "Senator Tuberville has been leading the call for Secretary Mayorkas to receive a full and fair trial for more than a month."
However, no explanations were offered for why the signatures of neither senator appeared on the letter demanding a trial.
Newsweek also reached out for comment to the offices of the other four senators who did not sign the letter, via email on Thursday night.
The other four, largely viewed as moderate Republicans with the exception of Paul, have all previously expressed doubts about the validity of a Mayorkas impeachment.
Paul argued during an interview with One America News Network in February that the impeachment of Mayorkas occurred in the House due to "a lowering of the bar" that followed the two impeachments of former President Donald Trump.
"I don't know whether it's appropriate to impeach him or not," Paul said. "I think he's doing a terrible, rotten job. But are we going to become a government that acts like these third-world governments, where we impeach every other president, we put everybody in prison after they're out?"
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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